Embassies and consulates · South Africa
Johannesburg: U.S. visa waits, scheduling and visas issued
As of September 17, 2026, the State Department lists a wait of 15 days for student visa appointments and 1 month for visitor visas at Johannesburg. 0 of 186 posts list a shorter student wait.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
By visa type
Student and exchange visas
15 days wait
1,939 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Visitor visas
1 month wait
14,107 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Temporary work visas
1 month wait
9,018 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Immigrant visas
Scheduling Jul 2025
983 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Appointment waits at Johannesburg
The State Department lists how long applicants at each post wait for an interview, in months. It published these figures for Johannesburg on September 17, 2026.
| Visa class | Johannesburg | Median post | Posts with a shorter wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available | 1 month | 1 month | 86 of 187 |
| Student and exchange (F, M, J) | 15 days | 15 days | 0 of 186 |
| Petition-based work (H, L, O, P, Q) | 1 month | 15 days | 120 of 184 |
| Crew and transit (C, D, C1/D) | 1 month | 15 days | 117 of 174 |
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
Johannesburg student wait over time
Johannesburg has ranged same day to 3 months across 24 months on record, so treat today's figure as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. The median over that time was 15 days.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · Coverage 2022-11/2026-09
Immigrant visa interview scheduling at Johannesburg
In its October 7, 2026 update, the State Department listed the month a case had to become documentarily complete for the National Visa Center (NVC) to be scheduling its interview at Johannesburg.
Immediate relative
July 2025
15 months behind
Family-sponsored preference
March 2025
19 months behind
Employment-based preference
August 2023
38 months behind
Source: U.S. Department of State: IV Scheduling Status Tool · Published 2026-10-07 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-10-07
Earlier scheduling months at Johannesburg →Visas issued at Johannesburg
The State Department reports how many visas each post issues every month. These counts are where visas were issued, not the nationality of the people who received them.
Nonimmigrant visas, February 2026
2,733
38% fewer than February 2025 (4,376). 29,183 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).
Immigrant visas, February 2026
18
87% fewer than February 2025 (141). 983 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).
Sources: U.S. Department of State: Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances and U.S. Department of State: Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuances · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2022-10/2026-02
Every visa class issued at Johannesburg →Visitor visa refusal rate for South Africa nationals
The State Department publishes refusal rates by nationality, counting applicants at every post, not by post. A refusal is what applicants usually call a visa rejection. This is the rate for nationals of South Africa wherever they applied, not a rate for Johannesburg.
Adjusted B visa refusal rate, FY2025
11.66%
Ranks 161 of 199 nationalities, highest first.
How the rate is calculated →Source: U.S. Department of State: Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas by Nationality · Retrieved 2026-07-24 · Coverage FY2025
Get an email when Johannesburg changes
Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available: 1 month now
We email you once each time the State Department publishes a different figure. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
Other U.S. posts in South Africa
- Cape TownStudent wait 15 days
Where these figures come from
- U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times by EmbassyPublished 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
- U.S. Student Visa Appointment Wait Times Over TimePublished 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · Coverage 2022-11/2026-09
- U.S. Immigrant Visa Interview Scheduling by EmbassyPublished 2026-10-07 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-10-07
- U.S. Visa Issuances by Post, MonthlyRetrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2022-10/2026-02
- U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Refusal Rates by NationalityRetrieved 2026-07-24 · Coverage FY2025
The State Department publishes each of these separately, on its own schedule. We show each one with its own date and never add figures from one to another.